2007 Toyota Avalon Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2007 Avalon most often describe unintended or surging acceleration, frequently around cruise control use and sometimes after the accelerator pedal recall work was done. A second recurring theme is a dashboard that cracks and becomes sticky or shiny, along with occasional reports of transmission harshness, brake pedal travel and engine oil line leaks.

1. 1
   Vehicle speed control

   Unintended acceleration / surging

   • 66 complaints (27%)
   • median 35,000 mi at 3.3 yrs old (55 state mileage)
   • 26 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2007–2026

   Complaints describe the car accelerating on its own while parking, at stop lights, during cruise control use, or when the brake is applied, in some cases ending in a collision. Several owners say the condition continued after the accelerator pedal recall repair, and dealers often reported that the failure could not be reproduced. Others link the behavior to the laser cruise control resuming speed abruptly. Reported from very low mileage up to around 120,000 miles, at parking-lot speeds through highway speed; several reports mention cold or snowy weather.

   Recall 10V017000Recall 09V388000

   What to check: Ask whether both accelerator pedal recalls (09V388000 and 10V017000) were completed and whether any surging was reported afterward. During a test drive, check that the pedal returns freely and that floor mats are the correct retained type.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Avalon 2007 xls the accelerator pedal is a problem. When I park to the garage, I could not stop the car. The brake did not work. The gas pedal was hard, no control .I hit to the garage wall. My front bumper was broken after the hit. The hit impact caused a big shake on my 2 babies ( both under 2 .5 year old).”

   NHTSA complaint #10304559, filed 2010-02, 35,000 miles

   “When parking my 2007 Toyota Avalon in a parking garage, I entered the parking space and I took my foot off the accelerator pedal so the car would coast into the space. However, when I took my foot off the accelerator pedal, the car, instead of slowing down. Suddenly accelerated into the barrier cables at the end of the parking space, causing $2392.86 worth of damage to the front end of the car. Updated 03/30/10.”

   NHTSA complaint #10314843, filed 2010-02, 14,530 miles
2. 2
   Brakes

   Low or soft brake pedal

   • 22 complaints (9%)
   • median 45,000 mi at 5.1 yrs old (18 state mileage)
   • 8 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2009–2026

   Owners report the brake pedal sinking toward the floor, longer stopping distances, grinding or sudden self-applied braking, and in some cases having to shift to neutral or use the parking brake to stop. Dealers are said to have checked the system and found no fault in at least one case. Mostly reported between about 45,000 and 135,000 miles, during normal driving and emergency stops.

   What to check: Check pedal firmness with the engine running and look for brake fluid leaks or a low reservoir; ask when pads, rotors and fluid were last serviced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving toward a stop sign, attempted to apply the brakes. The brake pedal went very low to the floor, car slowed down, but did not stop. Loud abnormal grinding sounds could be heard and locking of all brakes were felt. I moved the gear from drive to neutral to park, because the car would not stop by use of brakes. If I were on a major road, I would have crashed into someone, or been rear ended.”

   NHTSA complaint #10565624, filed 2014-02, 68,459 miles

   “I pressed brake pedal as I was about to exit a driveway and the car continued to roll into the roadway. To avoid a speeding pickup truck in the second lane that did not appear to slow down, I accelerated across the two lane roadway and was able to stop on the other side. The brakes appeared to work normally after that and I was able to drive approximately 5 miles and leave the car at the Toyota dealer. The front brakes had just been replaced two weeks earlier. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10534558, filed 2013-08, 47,300 miles
3. 3
   Body and structure

   Cracked or melting dashboard

   • 23 complaints (9%)
   • median 57,954 mi at 6.9 yrs old (21 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2012–2022

   Owners describe hairline cracks that spread quickly across the dashboard, sometimes with a sticky or shiny surface that reflects glare into the windshield. Many note the car was garage kept and otherwise well maintained; dealers and the manufacturer are reported as declining to cover the repair. Typically reported between roughly 50,000 and 145,000 miles, often on cars several years old and kept in warm climates.

   What to check: Inspect the top of the dash in direct sunlight for cracks, a sticky feel or glare; ask whether a dash cover or replacement has been fitted.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The dashboard has developed several cracks all across it. And the tape between the windshield and dashboard has also come loose and is peeling away from the interior base of the glass. At the time I made a complaint to the dealer but they told me to call Toyota because I would have to pay for fixing it myself as they could do nothing.”

   NHTSA complaint #10689474, filed 2015-02, 48,000 miles

   “My 2007 Toyota Avalon dashboard began cracking ~ 2 years ago. My car is low mileage and has always been garaged kept. The cracking has gotten progressively worse. There are numerous internet comments about this defect, but Toyota is stonewalling us customers. I would request that you all look into this issue. Melting and cracked dashboards in various Toyota vehicles could cause safety issues. For background info, just search the web. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10659317, filed 2014-11, 53,000 miles
4. 4
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Hard shifts and delayed engagement

   • 16 complaints (7%)
   • median 38,000 mi at 3.8 yrs old (15 state mileage)
   • filed 2007–2020

   Complaints describe the transmission hesitating before moving, then engaging or downshifting with a hard jolt or loud bang, and occasional revving without forward motion. One owner reports the dealer replaced engine mounts without resolving it, and another describes a dealer calling the behavior normal for the drive-by-wire system. Reported from near-new mileage up to about 140,000 miles, often at low speed or when pulling away from a stop.

   What to check: Test drive from a cold start and include several stops and slow-speed pull-aways; ask for transmission service records and whether fluid changes were done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have experienced on several occasions the transmission slipping so that when I accelerate the car does not move, then suddenly jerks real hard. This has left me in the middle of the street and almost caused several accidents. It has become progressively7 worse. Now it is becoming a safety problem in that the car could suddenly fail to move once you get in the middle of a cross road then suddenly drive off.”

   NHTSA complaint #10884646, filed 2016-07, 140,000 miles

   “Transmission shifting uneven and some time it stays in one particular gear even brake is applied. Car doesn't not stop even while applied brake. I have to put my car in park p mode while it is running on the road to stop my vehicle. Since even I apply brake it does not want to stop.”

   NHTSA complaint #11317600, filed 2020-03, 25 miles
5. 5
   Engine

   Engine oil line leak

   • 11 complaints (5%)
   • median 64,774 mi at 3.4 yrs old (10 state mileage)
   • filed 2009–2019

   Complaints describe oil leaking rapidly from a hose or line near the engine, sometimes with an oil smell or the oil pressure light coming on. One owner reports a dealer saying this has happened on other Avalons, and another says the same line leaked again after an earlier repair. Reported between roughly 45,000 and 111,000 miles, during ordinary driving.

   What to check: Look for oil residue or staining around the oil cooler and feed lines, check the oil level, and ask whether the line has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The variable valve timing oil feedline was a recall for Toyota a little short time ago in, 2015 the same problem reoccurs and I was just told by Toyota that this is not their problem it's my problem I felt to understand how a factory defect would be the consumers problem”

   NHTSA complaint #10723777, filed 2015-06, 111,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Avalon. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 25 MPH, there was an abnormal odor coming from the engine. The contact then discovered that there was oil leaking from the engine. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the oil line hose had fractured. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 101,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #10775979, filed 2015-09, 101,000 miles

Buying note. Have a pre-purchase inspection cover the throttle and cruise control behavior, transmission shifting, brake pedal feel and the engine oil lines, and confirm which open recalls have been completed. Dash condition is worth checking closely, since owners report cracks and glare that are usually not covered.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.